Preface

I'm opened for questions, dibates, and comments on the following research paper.
Please feel free to respond. ^^

I wrote this research paper for non-furries, but it also explains things some furries may not be aware of. Keep in mind, my scorces were limited, and not all information here is necessarily based on my oppinions of the culture. Also keep in mind that some topics discussed are of a mature subject matter.
This was written for my final college "Communication Theory" paper.

Download the .DOC Double-Spaced version of the paper here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2709609/
It can be added to faves there as well. ^^



Anthro: Understanding Furry Culture

Michael R. Silva
Evangel University

The furry culture is something even its members can’t really give a full definition to. This makes it a reasonably difficult topic to research as a point of fact. However, since it is so broad a subject, encompassing so many aspects of everyday culture and common history. This study hope that, while debunking common misconception and stereotype, the furry culture is better defined and understood. This will be done by delving into the world’s millennia-old background in anthropomorphic art and society. By better understanding its heritage and true current standpoint in today’s sphere, perhaps you (the reader) might feel more at ease with furry culture or even learn that you are more furry than you may have realized.



Introduction: Questioning the Culture
Imagine yourself in childhood before puberty, junior high, or your first job. Do you remember visiting the Mall, how you got so excited when you met the Easter Bunny in person for the first time? Perhaps you can recall watching Saturday-morning cartoons and spending time laughing at Bullwinkle, or The Pink Panther, or maybe the Care Bears. Then there was a time when your best friend in the world was that ragged old plush animal you toted around everywhere you went. Does any of this sound familiar? Maybe not for you, but it’s how many of us grew up. Now you’re older and you know that the Easter Bunny was just some college kid in a costume, the cartoon characters you fell in love with are just ink and paint, and your plush imaginary friend was just a ball of cotton and polyester. That kids stuff isn’t for grown ups, right? But then who was that person giving out hugs and photographs in the Rabbit suit? Who painstakingly created and drew those adorable cartoon creatures? Who designed and sewed together your plush playmate or even that bunny costume? It certainly wasn’t a child like you. Chances are is was an adult with a fondness for animals and their own childhood, two key ingredients in the topic of this paper. One observation is that things held in high regard by furries aren’t always the product of someone who is a part of furry fandom or lifestyle. Wondering what the furry fandom and lifestyle are? That’s exactly what your average non-furry westerner wants to know, and exactly what the following research will hopefully reveal.



Part 1: Grasping at Paws
In the previous introduction there lies a perspective account of what it’s might be like as an average child growing up in the US after the midpoint of the 1900s. What if those childlike nostalgic feelings could carry on into adulthood? Many people go through what psychology often refers to as mid-life crisis or second childhood, but these are usually phases or transitional stages. However, some people find a way to sustain their childhood throughout adulthood only to find that they’re often just as happy as anyone who truly grew up. This can be found in the child who played with toy trains in youth and then became a real engineer, still tinkering with elaborate model trains as a hobby. Also in the girl who loved to dress up dolls as a kid, only to dress real fashion models as a career and sketch innovative designs on the side. Some furries are the same as those mentioned before. They are animators who grew up on Bullwinkle, and Sports Mascots who have fond memories of the Easter Bunny, or even toy designers who remember the comfort of their old Teddy Bears.

Disputably the best guide to understanding the basics of furry culture can be found on Wikipedia.org under Furry Fandom (2009). The guide states the following:
“Furry fandom (also known as furrydom, furridom, fur fandom or furdom) refers to the fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes. Furry fandom is also used to refer to the community of artists, writers, role players and general fans of the furry art forms who gather on the net and at conventions.”
This wiki article will be mentioned multiple times in the study as it is vital to have a solid supported position for a subject so broad. To get a bearing on the language, Star Trek is to Trekkie or Trekker, as Furry Fandom is to Furr or Furry. Someone considering themselves to be part of Furry Fandom may say any of the following to describe themselves:
“I am Furry.” or “I am a Furry.”
“I am a Furr.” or “I am a Furr Fan”
“We are Furries.”
The term Anthropomorphic is often shortened to Anthro, referring to the definition in the wiki paragraph above. Usually this is applied to something just a bit more human-like than simply talking animals, but not so human than it has little animal characteristics left.

Furries often define themselves the same way that Nerds can be defined. Both term can be seen as both positive and negative, depending on the defining point of view. A Nerd could be described stereotypically as someone who plays a lot of videogames, wears unfashionable clothing, is good at math or science, watches a lot of sci-fi films, is unpopular outside of Nerd circles, memorizes trivial facts, is clumsy, programs computers, uses the internet as the only means of sexual interaction, or any other number of perceived traits and hobbies. As with all stereotypes, there are just as many chances of being right as being wrong when assuming they are all alike. Also, positive and negative characteristics are often mixed, defining all in the group as one entity. The common mixed bag of Furry stereotypes include being an anthro artist, enjoying cartoons, being zoophiles, dressing like an animal or mascot, going to anthro conventions, being animal rights activists, believing in animism, having a fur or anthro fetish, enjoying zoology and nature, collecting plush animals, showing gay pride, etc.
Unfortunately, due to the majority of publicity about furries coming from people outside the culture, the more controversial issues on the list have been played up, tagging all furries as perverts (or Furverts). However, as the popularity of the fandom has grown since being labeled in the 1980s, more people are understanding of the diversity of the Furry Fandom. Thus, publicity has become more furr-friendly.



Part 2: Nature of the Beast
Having seen a broad perspective of view points on Furry Culture, we can now begin to narrow down the true nature and essence of what it means to be Furry. But first, we need to comprehend how prevalent the building blocks are for such a fandom. People throughout history have always likened characteristics of animals to the nature of mankind, even using parable and fable as examples. Jesus, according to the Bible (KJV), is called Lion of Judah, and Lamb of God. Aesop’s fables used talking or anthropomorphic animals like “The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” or “The Lion and the Mouse” as devices in storytelling. Greek Mythology is littered with creatures that are part human and part beast, like the Minotaur, Fauns, and Mermaids. The ancient Egyptians worshiped creatures with human bodies and animal heads, not far unlike that of many anthro cartoon or comic character. Even the book of Isaiah (6:2, KJV) mentions the wings of angels. Atheists even believe than mankind evolved from animals. This combination of man and animal has fascinated the human race as far back as History records. Anthro characters have long been depicted in art, religion, and entertainment through stories, books, films, television, the internet, and all other forms of media throughout the ages. Furry fandom just locked in on it and began label itself as a common-interest group. Once the internet became prevalent, these furries could finally find and make contact with each other worldwide. That point in time (around the late 1990s), is when the fandom really started to make itself known. Most people, both then and now, don’t even realize they have anything in common with the fandom until researching it further. The internet was the main catalyst in putting furries on the map, and making them know to the world.



Part 3: Yiff, Beastality, FurFags, and the Big Bad Reputation
Once furries were put on the map for the world to see, they instantly became a point of interest for the media at large. The downside was inevitable controversy, skepticism, and misleading publicity. Things began to take an unfavorable turn in 2001 when Vanity Fair released an article called Pleasures of the Fur, an article about furry sexual fetishes. Soon after, MTV released a documentary following the sexual coming-of-age exploits of one gay furry. From this point, the spotlight now shone on the culture as being all gay sexual deviants. The offensive term “Fur-Fag” was developed and is still imposed today by ignorant internet hate groups. One episode of CSI depicted a furry convention as a sort of sleazy strip-club with attendees only looking for “Yiff”. Yiff is a furry synonym for sex, referring to the yiff sound a fox makes while mating. Another unsavory misconception imposed on furry culture is that furries are Bestiality Zoophiles, those involved in human-animal sexual relations.

Here’s what WikiFur, the official furry Wiki encyclopedia, has to say about the subject:
“It is considered particularly odious in the furry community, where animals are generally held in high regard.”
It seems that the furry community’s love for animals was mistaken as love with animals. Down under all the bad publicity, the stereotyping, and so on, there are roots in it all. Here are the bare statistics according to Wikipedia’s statistics (most of which come from surveys taken at furry conventions and online furry websites mostly around 1997.):
“19-25% of the fandom members report homosexuality, 37-48% bisexuality, and 3-8% other forms of alternative sexual relationships. About 2% state an interest in zoophilia…”.
2% may seem like a lot, but that’s 2% of furries. According to the Kinsey Reports (a sexual behaviors study from 1953) and other such studies since, the average person who has had “sexual interaction with animals” at any point is 5%-8%. So if anything, furries are 60%-75% less likely than the average person to be associated with such behavior.

As for the gay and bisexual stereotype, the statistics show up to 48% to have one of those orientations. However, assuming that every furry you meet is gay or bi makes as much sense as assuming that every human you meet will be a Male. Because there is a fairly high percentile of same-sex attraction among furries, they are very tolerant and welcoming of a broad range of people. Furries do not flirt, flaunt, or display their sexuality (including preferences therein) any more than the average person one would in public.

The most common furry-sexual argument is centered around those attracted to anthropomorphic pornography and fursuit fetishes. Since the furry fandom was brought together on the internet, pornography was come up sooner or later. The internet, according to Iain Thomson’s report, is only 1% pornography. However, if you were to consider the internet like a busy city sidewalk where you walk every day, and every hundredth person you walked by was naked or performing a sexual act, it becomes more than noticeable. The same lies in fury artwork and photography, as 1% of every image in fury culture is also pornographic. This study is not about sexuality on the internet, as it is an entire subject of its own that an entire library of books couldn’t even begin to discuss. But there is pornography on every subject, of every fetish, and in every form known online. It’s easy for anyone to just stumble onto it to stumble onto it weather they were intending to or not. A fair amount of furries are attracted to anthro pornography, but they do not all partake in the viewing of it. Not unlike the common man who, when shown a pornographic image, would not disagree to his being attracted to it but state that he doesn’t partake in that sort of indulgence.

Some fail to realize that cartoons have long had “Sex Symbols”, though some more subtle than others, over the years. The more overtly recognizable would be showgirl-type characters like Betty Boop, Tex Avery’s Red Hot Riding Hood, Jessica Rabbit, and so on. Anime, Manga, Comic books, and video game characters often have idealized sex-symbol characters in the lead like Superman or Lora Croft: Tomb Raider. Having such characters is common for anthro artwork as well, often combining the pleasing form of the human body with animal tail, head, fur paws, etc. Lola Bunny in Space Jam, although never really catching on as a popular Looney Tunes character in the US, still has a wide range of product endorsements and collectables in Europe. Nintendo’s hit game series Star Fox, a game featuring all anthro creatures piloting spaceships, recently added the scantily-clad vixen Krystal to the mix of characters to gain sexual appeal. Not all popular anthro characters are quite so human as these. Some furries even dispute weather characters like Garfield the cat, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Minnie Mouse are anthro enough to be considered part of the genre. The perfect standard meeting ground would be something like Disney’s Animated classic Robin Hood, told using anthropomorphic creatures. The characters show a good amount of human design, but without being too anatomically correct. Yet human as they are, even the smallest of children can point to each character and identify the animal they represent. The point of all this is that furries enjoy the most of the same anthro characters that non-furries do, and in similar ways. Although not all animators and artists who create these characters would consider themselves furry, it’s true that many furrs are antrho artists and cartoonists, recreating things like what they grew up with.



Part 4: Fursuits and Plushies
As mentioned before, the job of costumed entertainer has been around for quite some time and with only increase in popularity. Shopping Mall holiday icons, Theme Park characters, and Sports Mascots are only a few lead examples of people in furry costumes for mass entertainment. Most often, seeing any one of these examples fills us with delight, putting a smile on our faces and prompts us to find our cameras. As a child you may remember Big Bird helping teach kids their alphabet, or have seen Bear in the Big Blue house dancing for the kids. Plush characters, puppets, mascots, and the like often bring back fond memories of childhood, weather of one’s own plush toy or perhaps a family pet. Both children and adults alike find talking animals endearing, and since there’s not much chance of this fantasy coming true in real life, the next closest things are cartoons, puppets, and costumes. Furries refer to mascot-like costumes as fursuits. Because of the fondness held for such characters, but not necessarily wanting to make a career out of mascotting, furries often create or commission their own custom fursuit(s). These are then worn in public on holidays, at special events, or conventions often to the general public’s delight.

According to a survey conducted by the University of California, only 18% of the 600 furries own a fursuit. Needless to say, close to one-fifth is a sizable amount. Not every furry is comfortable or has a desire to wear a fursuit. It seems the root of wanting a fursuit can be traced to a few key points. The first, and most provocative, is the use of a fursuit as a sex toy. As mentioned before, this is a minority fetish and not the norm for fursuiters. For example, if a person has a sock fetish, it doesn’t make everyone wearing socks in public takes part in a sock fettish. Quite the contrary in most cases, fursuits are ment to bring out the childlike innocence of the wearer. The role playing aspect of fursuiting is merely the opportunity to be someone else, to take on the role of a fictitious character just for fun and escape from everyday life. Some fursuiters see it as an opportunity to become a cartoon character, as would a clown or mime, with the suit giving them the free license to act far silly than they would without. This is the entertainment aspect. Fursuiters put on charity shows, attend social events, and sometimes simply venture into busy public areas simply to entertain. Another aspect is the need for affection reciprocated through the interaction of a fursuiter and his or her audience. Kids and adults alike don’t feel shy running up to a costumed character and shaking hands, exchanging a high-five, or sharing a hug. Keep in mind that neither the fursuiter nor the interacting entertainee know each other personally. In what other instance would this kind of unconditional acceptance, attention, and affection be shown between perfect strangers? Some furries have even made a career out of the designing and creating of custom fursuits, such as Don’t Hug Cacti Studios and Mixed Candy. Needless to say all the aspects of fursuiting are at the very least recreational for all parties involved.

Plush animals and puppets are also a part of furry culture. Puppets, like fursuits, are a performance and role playing tool used for entertainment purposes. Plush collectors, not unlike toy collectors, own soft animals often for their nostalgic value and appeal.

Although the majority of furries are simply animal-loving fans of anthro art and culture, The furry lifestyle is another minority of furries who see the experience as one of spirituality. Furry lifestylers are a small percentage of furrs come from a variety of religions who believe in a form reincarnation or animal spirituality. Some believe they have an animal side or spirit within them, sharing characteristics of that animal. There are a few who even believe that they are animals trapped in human form. Thus interacting with furries makes them feel at home in a human society.



Part 5: Conventions, the Internet, and the Booming Furry Community
Anthropomorphic conventions have been a part of the furry culture since the mid 1980s. They began as side-events at science fiction conventions. They soon split off as full conventions of their own in 1989, ConFurence 0 being the first. The gatherings range from local get-togethers of 10 or less called furmeets and can be full-fledged conventions like the largest, Anthrocon, topping out at around 3,000 international attendees in recent years. The conventions welcome all interested, but lately have banned media coverage due to the recent unsavory coverage that propagates negative stereotypes. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, home of Anthrocon, welcomes the business of furries and has come to accept and encourage their patronage of the convention-goers.

Activities at such gatherings include art meets, fursuit and puppet performances, dances, fursuit sports (such as bowling in costume), parades, luncheons, art and video shows, conferences with VIP guests, Classes (such as how to draw, puppeteer, and mascot, or zoological exhibitions), role playing games (various in-character activities), and the list stretches from there. The main purpose, as with all conventions, is simply to get together and interact with people who share similar interests. Since the widespread use of the internet has expanded, so has the ability for furries to connect without waiting for and traveling (at great expense) to conventions. The largest known Furry online community is Fur Affinity (furaffinity.net), a community of furry artists, musicians, writers, entertainers, and other fans of furry culture. There are nearly 18,000 registered Fur Affinity users, nearly equivalent to population of the state of Florida. Websites like this provide a common sharing ground in both art and opinion (forums). Other, more digitally-kinetic, means of interaction are also available through MMORPGs like Second Life (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). Second life, a hot subject for review in it self, is a free game where the player is free to design his or her own characters, vehicles, buildings, items, and anything else they can imagine. This is accomplished using in-game 3D creative rendering software, allowing the player to create all elements of the game. The game has approximately 8,000,000 players, with an average of 38,000 of them playing online at any given time. Obviously furries use this as an opportunity to become their own furry character, or at least assume the appearance of an anthro creature in the goalless game. An estimated 20,000 furries play second life. The internet is littered with thousands of furry websites, chat groups, art boards, forums, and other means to meet the furr fans interactive needs.



Part 6: Closing notes
We’re all guilty of enjoying something incessantly at one point in life. Some people grow out of such affinities, hobbies, and fandoms. Some do not. As the world’s communication network broadens, people have become less ignorant of their surrounding cultures. Language barriers have broken, differences in society have been met with diplomatic understanding, and people truly have begun to strive for peaceful coexistence. The downside being communication can also be used as a weapon for scorn and finger pointing. The furry culture has grown because people have become more aware of what it is, and who represent it, even identifying themselves as part of it. It’s possible that you may not consider yourself as a part of Furry Fandom, but share more than a few affiliations to what makes them who they feel they are. Maybe enjoying some or many of the things they do. The object of this statement can be summed up as; Just because your not a big Football Fan doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy watching the game. Furries pride themselves on being tolerant of many cultures and viewpoints, the world at large could learn a lesson from their attitude. Perhaps we shouldn’t all go out and join every club, religion, and fandom that we come across, but if we truly want to better ourselves as humans we might try harder to understand the viewpoints of those around us. Learning in this manner may even help us understand ourselves so that we, in turn, can help better the world.

(This paper waas written by me, and is © Michael R. Silva 2009)





References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom
Author: Unknown

http://furry.wikia.com/wiki/Beastiality
Author: Unknown

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/42304.....porn-free.aspx
Title: Internet is 99 percent porn free
Author: Iain Thomson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fursuit
Author: Unknown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_convention
Author: Unknown

http://www.furaffinity.net/
Author: Unknown